James O'Brien Daily What’s it like having special educational needs, but no support?
Feb 23, 2026
Luke, who describes a late ADHD diagnosis plus OCD and Tourette's tics, recounts school exclusion and ongoing work challenges. Sam, who lives with dyslexia and ADHD, shares humiliation from withdrawal and long-term shame. They discuss undiagnosed struggles at school, inclusion versus separate provision, and the need for real classroom support and teacher training.
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Jamie Oliver Remembered Being Mocked As Special Needs
- James recounted Jamie Oliver's school experience being taken out for remedial lessons and bullied with classmates singing 'special needs' to Let It Be.
- The story illustrated how stigma and playground mockery reinforced lifelong impacts despite later success.
Invisibility Fuels Denial And Mockery
- Visible disabilities historically led to playground insults and renaming of charities because language became weaponised.
- James highlighted how invisibility of conditions like dyslexia or ADHD increases public denial and contempt from columnists.
Class Clown Sent Away For ADHD
- Luke described being labeled the class clown and sent to the back with headphones because severe ADHD made concentrating impossible.
- He was asked to leave school in his final year, later diagnosed in his 40s, and now runs a small business while aiming for local council to help others.